Cabinet and drawer assembly



June 3, 1952 E. N. ELLERSON 2,599,240

CABINET AND DRAWER ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 24, 1948 2 SIIEETS-SHEET 1 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 24 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 4 gale/150a,

Patented June 3, 1952 CABINET AND DRAWER ASSEMBLY Eli N. Ellerson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Advertising Metal Display 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 24, 1948 Serial No. 45,919

This invention relates to improvements in cabinet and drawer assembly and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

' One'of the objects of the present invention is to provide an assembly of this kind which though made entirely of a light gauge sheet metal at a low cost, is strong and rigid, with the parts so formed and arranged that the drawers will not bind on their associated rails of the cabinet in movement from one position to another therein. Another object of the invention is to provide in an assembly of this kind, an arrangement of parts on the sides of the drawers and cabinet respectively, whereby the drawers are hung from the top for a sliding opening and closing movement and cannot tip downwardly when drawn outwardly of the cabinet to their limit in full open position.

Also, it is an object of the invention to provide in an assembly of this kind an arrangement of integral parts of th cabinet and drawers respectively whereby said drawers cannot be entirely withdrawn accidentally from the casing to spill the contents thereof, but can be withdrawn free of the cabinet when so desired, after bendingcertain ones of said parts out of their normal operative position, and which may upon reinsertion of the drawer, be bent back to said normal operative position preventing complete withdrawal of the drawer.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others, together with the advantages thereof will more fully appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet and drawer assembly embodying one form of the invention and shows the use of a single deep drawer therein.

Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are views in front elevation showing a number of combinations of drawers of different and shallower depths that may be employed in the cabinet appearing in Fig. 1, without a change in the structure thereof.

Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, through a cabinet and drawer when embodied in the drawer assembly appearing-in Fig. 7 with the bottom drawer omitted therefrom.

Fig. 10 is a perspective detail view on a scale enlarged over that of Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive of one of the drawers of the cabinet and associated parts at the front thereof and more particularly shows the parts at the front of the cabinet and on the 4 Claims. (01. 312346) sides of the drawer to prevent the accidental complete withdrawal of the drawer from the cabinet. Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view in side elevation on an enlarged scale of the rear end part of one side '(the left side) of one of the drawers and which will be more fully referred to later. I

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view in rearend elevation of that part of the drawer appearing in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary top plan viewofthose parts of the drawers appearing in Figs. 11 and 12 respectively.

In general, the improved cabinet or drawer assembly includes an open front sheet metal casing adapted to receive therein a set of drawers of the least or shallowest depth, or another set of drawers, certain ones of which have a depth which is approximately a multiple of the smallest depth or a single drawer of the greatest depth, and which is approximately equal to that of the combined depth of the drawers in either of the outer sets. On the inner surface of the side walls of the casing are sets of front to rear rails and these rails are so spaced apart vertically that certain pairs thereof are adapted to be engaged by coacting rails on the sides of the drawers for the sliding support of any combination of depth of drawers it is desired to use. Thus, with one casing and four different depths of drawers, it is possible to provide many arrangements of different depths of drawers. The drawers are so constructed that they cannot he accidentally pulled out to clear the open front of the casing and spill the contents thereof. However, when it is desired to completely remove any drawer or plurality thereof from the casing, this may be readily and easily done even by inexperienced persons, as will hereinafter appear.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the improved assembly includes a cabinet casing of rectangular shape and preferably made up of light gauge sheet metal. Said casing, which is indicated as awhole by the numeral 15' in Fig.1, is open at the front and includes upright side walls Iii-l6, a back wall I! and top and bottom walls [8 .and [9 respectively. The open front of the casing is indicated at 20 and at the sides thereof are angle bar-like posts 2I2| each having a side flange 22 (see Fig. 10) that extends toward the rear wall of the casing.

0n the inner surface of each side wall It are sets of front to rear extending rails 23, 24, 25 and 26 respectively, all spaced vertically the same distance apart and which best appear in Fig. 9.

Each rail, which is of a channel shaped cross section, includes an outer vertical flange 21 that is preferably spot welded to the associated side wall l6, a'bottom web 28 and an inner vertical flange 29, the vertical flanges facing upwardly and being of less depth than the flange 21. The inner flanges 29 of all of said rails are so spaced laterally from the associated side walls l6 as to be disposed in' -a plane inwardly of the plane of the flanges 22 of the corner posts 2! at the front of the casing.

Associated with the cabinet casing structure just described, are one or more drawers, which may be inserted into and withdrawn outwardly of the open front 20 of the casing.- structurally all of the drawers employed with the casing are alike, the only difference between them being in their vertical depths and which depths are substantially multiples of the vertical spacing between the pairs of rails 23, 24, 25 and 26 respectively. 1

InFig. l. is'shown the deepest drawerpossible touse with the casing, and-which drawer has substantially: the depth of the open front 20 of thecasing and is indicated as a wholeat 30 in Fig. l.

In Fig. .2- is illustrated the'largest number of drawers it is possible to use in the casing, and such drawers are each indicated as a whole by thenumeral 30a. 7 Each drawer 30a has a depth that corresponds substantially to the vertical spacing between the rails 23, 24, 25 and Mirespec-tively and therefore are four in number.

In Fig; 8- is illustrated. the use of but two drawers 3% in the casing. each of thesame depth and which is substantially twice thedepth of the drawers 33a and. which approximates the spacingbetween any two alternate sets. of. the rails 23 ,2 4; 25-and 26 respectively.

InFigs." 3, 6 and "Tare shown the use of different combinations or arrangements .of the drawers 30a and. 331) respectively in .a casing I5.

In "Fig. 4 is illustrated the use :of but oneof the shallowest drawers 33a .in combination. with a drawer 30c of a depth approximatin three times the depth of the drawer 33a. The: drawer 3-00 is once: and aha-1f times the depth of the drawers 3%. Fig. 'i1lustrates-a difierent arrangement o 7 the-drawersBDa-and 30c .inthe casing.

As before mentioned, all of the drawers are structurally alike and therefore a description of one will suffice for-all and all are preferably madeofa light gauge sheet'metal.

Each drawer, which is .open at-the top, includes afront 31, a bottom 3-2 ,aback 33-and a pair 0f;.side walls ,34, 34. r The upper marginal portion ofeachuside wall 3-4 is bent over forming 'a down-.- turned flange 35, which is spacedlaterallyirom the associated side wall, as bestappears Figs. hand-12. The spacing; between the flanges 1350f each;drawer is slightly less than the spacing between the flanges 22 of the cornercpostswll. of the cabinet casing 15. and is slightly. more than the spacing between the flanges .of the: rails 23, 24,25 and 26 before mentioned Thus, in the insertion of a drawer into the casing, the flanges 35 will passthe flanges 22 0f said corner posts 2| and will enter the spaces between the flanges 2'I23 of the associated-rails and .will provide a sliding support .for the top-of each drawer with its associated rails, as best appears inFigs. 9 and 10.

Lateral marginal parts of the rear wall .33 of each drawerare bent over as a-double .iold,.as.bes t appears in Figs. 11, 12 and .-13 to form flanges 4 33a that lap over rear end parts of the side walls 34 of the drawer. These flanges 33a are disposed in the planes of the flanges 35 of the drawer and terminate at their top ends at such a distance below said flanges 35 as to permit the said flanges properly to engage the rail flanges 29 for sliding support thereon.

Each side wall 34, toward its rear end, is provided withzan integralbendable punched out tongue 36. In each tongue a slot-like opening 31 is provided to receive the end of a simple tool, such as the end of the blade of an ordinary screw driver. Asbest appears in Fig. 11, each tongue is connected atits topend to the associated drawer side and it ordinarily stands within the vertical plane of. the-flange 35 on the associated side 34 of the drawer. Thus, it affords no interference when inserting'the drawer in the casing as it easily passesthe flanges 22 of the corner posts. After the drawer has been inserted to a point wherein the tongues 35 have passed said corner post flanges, and while said,tongues are reachable from the front of thecasing, the endfifascrew driver blade is inserted into the opening 31 .of-

each..to ngue and".the tongue is then-bent 0 1twardlylas indicated, in dotted. ines i F g-12$!) as to project laterally outwardly beyond-the plane of the flanges" 2210f thecorner posts 2|. 3

Thus, when the drawer i drawn outwardly, the bent tongues 36 function as shoulders'ior astop engagement with the flanges 22 of the corner. posts so that the drawer cannot be-accidentally entirely pulled outof the casing. When the drawer. is pulled'to' the limit ofits outer position, .the upper end edgesof the flanges 33a thereon will engagetheweb 28 of the associated rails and will'prevcn-t' the downwardtippingof the forward end of the drawer; If it is desired to completely remove the drawer, the tongues 36 are bent back inwardly with said screw .driver so as to pass the flanges22'...

Each draweris provided on its. front 31 with a-drawerpull 38 and with a group of punched out'iears .39 arranged .tohold a card, upon which may be inscribed the contents for which the drawerisused. V r

Whilev in. describing the invention .1 have referred in detail to theform arrangement and construction of the parts embodied therein, the sameis tobe considered only in the illustrative sense and therefore I do not wish tobeulimited thereto, except as may be specifically set-forth in the appended claims.

I ,elairn as my invention:

1. A sheet metal cabinet assembly embodying therein an open front casing having side-walls, upwardly facing edge-like rails spaced inwardly fremend parallel with said side walls and extending forwardly and rearward'ly thereof, atialeast one drawer in said casin having back and side means providing a downwardly opening channel on each sidewall of the drawer havingra sliding supporting engagement-each on the top edge of an associated Jail ,on an adjacent-side wall of the casingfrom open to closed Positions therein, andmeans formed frompartsof theback wall of the drawer that are double folded over uponthe sidewalls of the drawer-and forming shouldersb'elow andiadapted to engage the under side of the associated rail to prevent a downward tippin of the drawer when it is drawn outwardly of the casing toward its open position.

2....A sheet1meta1 cabinet assembly. embodying therein an open front casing having side lls, upwardlyopeningchannels each including .a bottom web and outer and inner flanges, at least the latter of which is upwardly directed, the outer flange being fixed to the inside of each side wall to extend forwardly and rearwardly thereof, at least one drawer in said casing having back and side walls, means providing downwardly opening channels on each side wall of the drawer having a sliding supporting engagement upon the upper edges of the inner flanges of the channels on the side walls of the casing from open to closed positions therein, and means on each side wall of the drawer below the channel thereon and formed from parts of the back wall of the drawer that are folded over upon the side walls of the drawer, adapted to engage the underside of the web portion of the channel on the adjacent side wall of the casing to prevent a downward tipping of the drawer when it is drawn outwardly of the casing toward its open position.

3. A sheet metal cabinet assembly embodying therein an open front casing having side walls, upwardly facing edge-like rails spaced inwardly from and parallel with said side walls and extending forwardly and rearwardly thereof, at least one drawer in said casing having back and side walls,

an upper marginal portion on each side wall of r the drawer being bent outwardly and then downwardly to provide a downwardly opening channel having a sliding supporting engagement, each upon the top edge of the edge-like rail on one adjacent side wall of the casing from open to closed positions therein, and means on each side wall of the drawer below the channel thereon formed from parts of the back wall of the drawer and bent forwardly and engaged with the sides of the drawer and having a rearward return-bend adapted to engage the under side of the associated rail to prevent a downward tipping of the drawer when it is drawn outwardly of the casing toward its open position,

4. A sheet metal cabinet assembly embodying therein an open front casing having side walls, upwardly facing edge-like rails spaced inwardly from and parallel with said side walls and extending forwardly and rearwardly thereof, at least one drawer in said casing having side walls and a back wall, means providing a downwardly opening channel on each side wall of the drawer having a sliding supporting engagement each on the top edge of an associated rail on an adjacent side wall of the casing from open to closed positions, parts of the back wall of the drawer being so formed as to be bent over upon the side walls thereof, to form upwardly facing shoulders below said channels thereof and adapted to engage the under side of the associated rail to prevent a downward tipping of the drawer when it is drawn outwardly of the casing toward its open position.

ELI N. EILERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 790,020 Allen May 16, 1905 947,842 Ohnstrand Feb. 1910 1,341,829 Whittinghill June 1, 1920 1,858,064 Vance May 10, 1932 1,934,125 Hurt Nov. 7, 1933 2,004,025 Van Voorst June 4, 1935 2,113,544 Haley Apr. 5, 1938 2,223,071 Koch Nov. 26, 1940 2,277,703 Kennedy et a1 Mar. 31, 1942 2,330,044 Gaston Sept. 21, 1943 2,341,093 Haberstump Feb. 8, 1944 2,536,613 Schulze Jan. 2, 1951 

